Drought In California

Death along Route 66

Lemon Drops from Heaven

Pasadena -- Twenty fourteen has been a good year for citrus. Our lemon tree is bursting with fruit--so much, we can't keep up with the yellow beauties falling onto the driveway each day. We now affectionately call them "lemon drops." Some days we have more than 15 Eureka lemons fall at a time. That makes enough lemonade for the whole neighborhood, plus a few for cooking....

Swimming in L.A.

Big Rock Camp, LA County -- Growing up in the 60s and 70s, we kids had all kinds of freedom. It seemed like the summer before us would last an eternity. None of us counted the weeks or days until the first day of school. Then, like a slap in the face, a "Back To School" commercial from Miller's Outpost would jolt us back to reality of just how short summers were.

Dip and Dash

When I was a kid, we used to look for pools on hot, summer days that were not being used. Often it required hopping a fence. Although some may consider our deviant deeds breaking and entering, I choose to call it innocent trespassing.

The girl pictured has committed no such crime, but it does remind me of the good ol' days of playing "Dip and Dash."

Taking Life Easy

Mammoth Lakes -- Five hours north of Los Angeles is a destination resort in a most natural setting. Mammoth Lakes is one of LA's backyard playgrounds with world class trout fishing, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and in the winter, one of the largest ski areas in the West, if not in the world.

Like most people, I don't get too much time to "take it easy." Life is busy with family commitments, over 50-hours of work a week (not complaining...) and a myriad of other events that seem to take over the calendar like weeds in a neglected garden.

At least I have this photo to muse on--to dream and look forward to going to again in a few weeks!

Summer Feet

Pasadena -- A summer day, a bunch of kids and a pool is a recipe for fun.

Summer!

Those were magic times when I was a kid. No better day than the last day of school and the beginning of summer. Although we still had to pick up our rooms, take out the trash and do odd jobs to help pay for miscellaneous toys, at least we knew we were free to roam the neighborhood in search of adventure.

Splash!

Valyermo, CA -- Kids jump off a high dive at camp, landing in what's known as a "cannon ball." The object is to make the biggest splash. One youngster achieved his goal, which paid off in dividends.

A Silver Lining

Pasadena, CA -- Telephone and power lines are the bane of photography. I avoid lines in my photos as much as possible. I will even remove a line or two if it does not require too much work in "post."

Tonight, however, I think the poles and black cable lines work in this photo, as do the silvery-lined clouds against a near full moon.

Get Your Kicks and "Left Hooks" on 66

Fontana, CA -- When I drove through this section of Route 66, it was 106 (f) degrees. High humidity added to the misery. Los Angeles is a quick 40-minute drive from Fontana and is about 10 degrees cooler.

A Glimpse of Summer

Eight flavors tantalize the youngster, while making a single choice can be quite a chore. Summer, once again, is just around the corner. How much we have to look forward to!